The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-01-12


sand copies of the proceedings OF the celebra-
ton have been published, and am certain you
will approve the work accomplished when you
look IL over.
THE LIVESTOCK SANITARY COMMISSION.
The livestock Sanitary Commission. also
created by act OF the last Legislature, have
been interchangeable I'm their efforts To exclude
Texas fever and pleuro-pneumonia from the
State, thus far with success They have had
the active cooperation of the Executive, and IL
is hoped that the precautions already taken
will insure safety To the livestock Of the state
by keeping these dreaded diseases outside the
borders.
Concerning tho supposed fraudulentiy paid
bounties to many soldiers OF the State con-
fess from reports and complaints have hereto
fore received in great numbers, that the report
OF the Board Of Auditors surprises me. 10 10
brief, clear, and comprehensive, and in order
that il may not escape your attention embody
il verbatim in this niessage:
OFFICE or THE BOARD OF
STATE AUDITORS,
LANSING, Dec. 3, 1886.
Hon. r. A. Algcr, Governor:
DEAR SIR-Ihe Board of State Auditors, as
authorized and instructed by Act l57 II the SEES
sion laws of 1885, have carefully examined ana
dete mined as To the RIGHTS of certain clnimants
20 State bountes, alleged to have been paid by
toe State upon forged or fraudulent Vouchers.
Publicity was given to the time and place OF
meetings of the Board by advertisement in the
daily papers OF the principal cities OF
the State, and every facility and con-
venience afforded TO claimants for the presenta-
tion of their cases. All claims presented were
time and labor given as each required. Nouch-
and records were critically examined wit
nesses sworn and questioned, and every possi-
bic method adopted TO got Mt the facts in enc n
case. A number of claimants after seeing for
themselves the records and vouchers, admitted
that they had signed the vouchers or assign
ments In many cases, To save costs TO claim
ants, their cases were investigated in their own
localities, at the expense of the State, by an
agent of this Board
The Board have not found single case where
they were not satisfied that the claimants had
either received the amounts due or properly
assigned the claim to n third party. Attached
hereto you will find list of claimants with the
adjudication and determination in each case. :
All of which is respectfully submitted.
(Signed by the following Board Of State Aud
itors J
II. A. CoNAST,
Secretary of State.
Il. II. BUTLER,
State Treasurer
MINOR S. NEWELL,
Commissioners OF State Land ONCE.
BY act of Congress approved Sept %, 1880
all the swamp and overlooked lands within the
State were grant d 70 the state. The grant was
accepted, and the plats and field notes of the
Government surveys were accepted rs the basis
for the adjustment OF the grant Under this ar
rangement 7,373S0i.72 acres were reported by
the Secretary of the Interior as coming within
the grant, but Of this amount only $3.50, 2l7. Ia
acres have been patented to the state
leaving balance due the State Of 1,7l4,-
5S1CS Through errors in the local Offices,
or. by design, the greater part of this
deficiency has been disposed Of by the govern
ment. The claim for the deficiency has been
prepared by the State Land Department and
presented To the Inderior Department. IL has
in effect been allowed, and the first installment
OF indemnity for the land sold received and
covered into the treasury. Some portion of the
claim will no doubt be rejected, but it can be
reasonably expected that the Statcwill receive
indemnity for the greater part of it, 1t is rea-
sonable TO hope that the State will receive
several hundred thousand dollars from this
source. This is the result of vigorous work by
the Land Department of this Stateaof late.
There have been, during my term of Office
several strikes among the laborers of the State
The one involving the largest number occurred
in the Saginaw Valley during the summer Of
1885. Upon acquisitions of the respective Sher-
ifs Of Saginaw and Bay Counties, troops were
called out, and it is with great pleasure l am
able to state that, although great loss in wages
and stoppage in business was caused by the
strike, no lives were lost or property destroyed
A state Veterinarian was duly appointed. ac-
cording to law also Board OF Pharmacy,
which is of great importance TO the State Dur
ing 1888 the state was seriously threatened with
smallpox, which became epidemic in Canada
to an alarming extent. The State thor
oughly quarantned, and, upon request. receiv-
ed the active cooperation of the general govern
ment, and so thoroughly was it done, it is be-
lieved no case Of small poX occurred in Nichi-
gan in consequence thereof.
There have been several commissions ap-
pointed for commercial, agricultural and his
torcal purposes. / beg to call your especial
attention TO the report of Justice Jas. V. Camp
bell, also submitted, concerning proposed Con-
stitutional Celebration and ask for your favor
able action concerning il.
The Advisory Board in the matter OF pardons
has been Of incalculable benefit TO the Execu-
tive. Under the law creating il, il has been
possible TO accomplish very much that other
wise could not have been done. This board has
taken great pains in examining the many cases
that have applied for pardon, and its report,
which is very full is herewith submitted. The
great amount of labor which the Executive Of Il
large State is Obliged to perform malses it utter
ly impossible for him to examine all the appli-
cations for pardon, and without board sim
liar to this many deserving must have
been neglected and it is much better for
the State TO appropriate the small sum neces-
sary TO carry along its work than TO allow n
single innocent person TO suffer imprisonmen.
/ ask your committee to examine fully the work
of this board, which will be found in tho Execu-
tive Office and will, am sure, prove very inter-
esting and instructive. L recommend that an
appropriation he made for n salary for clerk of
the board, at 81, 200 per annum, besides sum
for the work OF the board equal to the former
appropriation. The work has been so much
more extensive than was anticipated that,
the appropriation having been exhausted
for such clerk, the members OF the Board, who
received pay only when actually employed, are
paying the clerk out of their own private means.
This should not be. An examination of the
prison records shows very great and unjust
inequality of sentences for the same crime by
the judges of the different courts of the State.
In many instances the sentence is three or four
times as long "a in others for the same offense. |
recommend that this Advisory Board be charged
with the duty of thoroughly overhauling the
prison records and of recommending TO the
Executive such combinations will in a
measure equaliZe these punishments, unless,
of course, far rs il il is found the punish
ment is too light for the offense. This inequali-
ty Of sentences creates great dsaffection among
prisoners, and justly so. II is a very serious
question, and should be, as no doubt 1t will be,
carefully considered
/ believe in view of the fact that so many
people are imprisoned who not OF the Grim
! inal class, il would lie wise, Just, and humane
| TO pass a law establishing ticket-of-leave sys-
| tenn, TO be guarded, of course with every pos
as in the State Of Ohio, and when il is thought
a prisoner will reform IL given an opportunity
| However, connected with il should be
| a law enacted that by simple process the
person be apprehended and re.
turned 20 prison TO serve out the
balance of his sentence IL he violated his parole.
| An attempt was made the past year in Jackson
! in the case of one Moore. who was pardoned
conditionally, and who violated the terms OF his
pardon, TO re-imprison him. The case was car
ried to the Supreme Court, the act of earnest
tional, and he is to-day a free man. This should
not be. as the parole should be thoroughly un.
derstood TO mean what 10 says.
| Ibelieve that very little is accomplished in
! prison I'm way of reform Of convicts. From the
very nature of the case they, n rule, from
| the day of their Incarceration to the time OF
their discharge, are planning some means OF
! escape, or nursing some imagined wrong, and
| are therefore to great extent in a constan,
I state Of rebellion. Therefore, / believe the
ticket-ofleave system, IL carefully guarded
fetal results except upon the vicious and natur
| MI criminal class